NCAA men: Cincinnati blows 22-point lead in loss to Nevada

MEN Nevada 75, Cincinnati 73

Josh Hall converted an offensive rebound for the tiebreaking basket with 9.1 seconds left as Nevada erased a 22-point deficit in the final 11 minutes of a stunning 75-73 victory over Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Nevada’s stirring comeback — the second-largest in tournament history — came just two days after the seventh-seeded Wolf Pack rallied from 14 points down to beat Texas 87-83 for its first NCAA victory since 2007. The Wolf Pack (28-7) move on to an all-upstart South Region semifinal matchup with 11th-seeded Loyola-Chicago (30-5) on Thursday night. Cincinnati, the No. 2 seed, never trailed until Hall’s tiebreaking basket but watched its lead disintegrate as it failed to make a basket in the final 5:45. With the game tied in the closing seconds, Hall got a rebound off a missed shot by Cody Martin. Hall made a move in the paint and then hit the winning basket. Cincinnati (31-5) never got off a shot before the buzzer. Cane Broome briefly lost control of the ball and then passed to the area of Gary Clark as the final seconds ticked away.

Texas A&M 86, North Carolina 65

T.J. Starks scored 21 points and Texas A&M overpowered North Carolina inside, upsetting the reigning national champions to mark the second straight year a title holder missed the Sweet 16. The seventh-seeded Aggies (22-12) did everything they had to do to hand the Tar Heels a rare loss in a home-state NCAA game. They dominated the glass. They used their size to control the paint and block shots. And they pounced when UNC’s small-ball lineup couldn’t make an outside shot. Robert Williams finished with 13 rebounds, helping the Aggies take a 50-36 edge while shooting 52 percent — including 10 of 24 from 3-point range. Joel Berry II scored 21 points in his final game for the second-seeded Tar Heels (26-11).

Syracuse 55, Michigan State 53

Tyus Battle had 17 points and Oshae Brissett scored 15, lifting 11th-seeded Syracuse to a 5553 win over third-seeded Michigan State. Cassius Winston missed an opportunity to win the game for the Spartans with a shot from about 45 feet just before the buzzer. The Spartans, flummoxed by Syracuse’s 2-3 zone, didn’t make a basket in the last 5:41. The Orange (23-13) forced the Spartans (30-5) to settle for 3-pointers all afternoon and it worked brilliantly for Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim against Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo. The Spartans took a school record 37 shots beyond the arc, making just eight of them. Syracuse has won three straight since being sent to Dayton for the First Four as what the selection committee chairman acknowledged was the final team to receive an at-large bid.

Purdue 76, Butler 73

Dakota Mathias sank a 3-pointer with 14.2 seconds left and second-seeded Purdue, minus star center Isaac Haas, held off 10th-seeded Butler to reach the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. The Boilermakers (30-6) led by as many as 10 points in the second half, but Butler (21-14) cut the deficit to two and had the ball in the final minute. Kalen Martin missed a 3-pointer, and the shot by Mathias at the other end made it 76-71. Martin scored with 2.1 seconds remaining, and P.J. Thompson missed the front end of a oneand-one, giving Butler another chance. The Bulldogs called a timeout with 1.8 seconds left, and Kamar Baldwin’s shot from near midcourt hit the rim — although it may have been waved off on a review even if it had gone in.

WOMEN Oregon State 66, Tennessee 59

Tennessee lost for the first time at home in NCAA women’s tournament history when Marie Gulich had 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead Oregon State. The third-seeded Lady Vols (24-8) had been 57-0 at home with most of those victories coming under late Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, who led the team to eight national championships. It’s the second straight season that Tennessee lost in the second round of the NCAAs and will miss the Sweet 16 in back-toback seasons for the first time in the program’s 37-year tournament history.

Louisville 90, Marquette 72

Myisha Hines-Allen had 24 points and 13 rebounds, Asia Durr scored 19 points and Louisville quickly pounced on Marquette on the way to a victory. The Cardinals (34-2) advanced to their second consecutive Sweet 16 and will play 80 miles east in next weekend’s regional in Lexington, Kentucky. Allazia Blockton had a career-high 34 points and Erika Davenport 11 for Marquette (24-10).

Notre Dame 98, Villanova 72

With top-seed Notre Dame struggling to a halftime tie against Villanova, a visibly angry Muffet McGraw had seen enough. When the Irish returned from the locker room, enter Kathryn Westbeld, who sat out the first half with a left ankle sprain, and the Irish found their way to the regional semifinals for the ninth straight season with a 98-72 victory over pesky Villanova. Jessica Shepard had her fourth straight double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Notre Dame. Arike Ogunbowale and Jackie Young had 24 points each and Marina Mabrey added 15 for the Irish (31-3).

Texas A&M 80, DePaul 79

Freshman Chennedy Carter hit a 3 with 3.2 seconds left, capping a 37-point performance, to help Texas A&M rally from a 17-point second-half deficit and beat DePaul. Carter had 32 of her points after halftime and the fourth-seeded Aggies pulled off another stunning second half comeback for the second consecutive year. It was the largest comeback ever in the second round of the tournament and the fourth largest ever.